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Yeast Converter
Use this free yeast converter to switch between fresh yeast, active dry yeast, and instant yeast. Enter the amount you have, in grams, ounces, teaspoons, or tablespoons, and it gives the matching amount of each other type, so your dough rises the same way no matter which yeast is in the cupboard.
Weights are the most accurate. A level teaspoon of active dry or instant yeast is about 3.1 g, and a level teaspoon of crumbled fresh yeast is about 3.3 g.
| Yeast type | Grams | Teaspoons |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh yeast | 15 g | 4 ½ tsp |
| Active dry yeast | 6 g | 2 tsp |
| Instant yeast | 5 g | 1 ½ tsp |
Active dry yeast should be dissolved in warm water for a few minutes before mixing. Instant yeast can go straight into the flour.
How it works
Fresh yeast, active dry yeast, and instant yeast are all the same living yeast, but they come in different forms with different amounts of water in them. Fresh yeast is a soft, moist block that must be kept cold and used within a week or two. Active dry yeast is dried into granules with a protective coating, keeps for months, and needs to be dissolved in warm water for a few minutes before it wakes up. Instant yeast is dried into finer granules that dissolve on their own, so it can be mixed straight into the flour and starts working faster.
Because fresh yeast is mostly water, you need more of it by weight to get the same rising power. Instant yeast is the most concentrated, so you need the least. The standard weight ratios used by bakers are 1 part fresh yeast to 0.4 parts active dry yeast to 0.33 parts instant yeast. In other words, 30 grams of fresh yeast equals 12 grams of active dry yeast and 10 grams of instant yeast.
Fresh = active dry × 2.5 · Fresh = instant × 3
Active dry = instant × 1.25 · Instant = active dry × 0.8
The calculator first turns your amount into grams, because the ratios only work by weight. If you enter grams, that step is already done. Ounces are multiplied by 28.35 to get grams. Teaspoons and tablespoons use the weight of a level spoon: one teaspoon of active dry or instant yeast is about 3.1 grams, one teaspoon of crumbled fresh yeast is about 3.3 grams, and one tablespoon is three teaspoons. Spoon measures vary with how tightly the yeast is packed, so weighing in grams is more reliable, especially for small amounts.
Once the amount is in grams, the calculator applies the ratios to find the other two types. From fresh yeast, it multiplies by 0.4 for active dry and by 0.33 for instant. From active dry, it multiplies by 2.5 for fresh and by 0.8 for instant. From instant, it multiplies by 3 for fresh and by 1.25 for active dry. Then it converts each result back into your chosen unit, so you can measure with whatever you have on hand.
One warning: these ratios keep the rising power the same, but they do not change how the yeast behaves. Active dry yeast still needs dissolving in warm water first, and instant yeast still works faster than active dry once it is mixed in. If your recipe was written for active dry yeast and you swap in instant yeast, the dough may rise a little faster, so watch it rather than the clock. And never swap the types one for one: 15 grams of instant yeast in place of 15 grams of fresh yeast is three times too much, and the dough will over-rise and collapse.
Worked example
Your recipe calls for 15 grams of fresh yeast, but you only have active dry and instant yeast.
Step 1: Active dry — 15 × 0.4 = 6 grams.
Step 2: Instant — 15 × 0.33 = 4.95 grams, or about 5 grams.
Step 3: In ounces — 15 ÷ 28.35 = 0.53 oz of fresh yeast.
Step 4: In teaspoons — 6 grams of active dry ÷ 3.1 grams per teaspoon = 1.94, or about 2 teaspoons; 5 grams of instant ÷ 3.1 = 1.61, or about 1 ½ teaspoons.
The result is 15 g fresh = 6 g active dry = 5 g instant — exactly what the calculator shows for those inputs.
FAQ
How much instant yeast equals fresh yeast?
Multiply the fresh yeast weight by 0.33 to get instant yeast. For example, 15 grams of fresh yeast equals about 5 grams of instant yeast, and 30 grams of fresh yeast equals about 10 grams of instant yeast. Going the other way, multiply instant yeast by 3 to get fresh yeast. These are weight ratios, so weigh the yeast rather than measuring by spoon for the most accurate result.
Can I use active dry yeast instead of instant yeast?
Yes, and the swap is simple: use 1.25 times as much active dry yeast as instant yeast, because active dry yeast has a little less live yeast per gram. For example, 8 grams of instant yeast becomes 10 grams of active dry yeast. The one extra step is that active dry yeast should be dissolved in warm water for a few minutes before mixing, while instant yeast can go straight into the flour.
How many grams is a teaspoon of yeast?
One level teaspoon of active dry or instant yeast weighs about 3.1 grams, and one level teaspoon of crumbled fresh yeast weighs about 3.3 grams. One tablespoon is three teaspoons, so a tablespoon of active dry or instant yeast is about 9.3 grams. Spoon measures vary with how tightly the yeast is packed, so weighing in grams is more reliable, especially for small amounts.
What is the difference between fresh, active dry, and instant yeast?
Fresh yeast is a soft, moist block that must be kept cold and used within a week or two. Active dry yeast is dried into granules with a protective coating, lasts for months, and needs to be dissolved in warm water before use. Instant yeast is dried into finer granules that dissolve on their own, so it can be mixed straight into the flour and works faster than active dry yeast. All three are the same living yeast, just in different forms.
Can I just swap yeast types one for one?
No, because the three types have different amounts of live yeast per gram. Fresh yeast is mostly water, so you need more of it by weight, while instant yeast is the most concentrated, so you need less. The standard ratios are fresh to active dry to instant of 1 to 0.4 to 0.33 by weight. Swapping one for one would give you three times too much instant yeast or one third too little fresh yeast, and the dough would rise far too fast or far too slowly.